How do I verify if my 5-speed transmission is a RSF50A or an RSF50V? I know for a fact that my car originally came with a RSF50V (The LSD model), but the previous owner DID NOT rebuild it when replacement time came around. He bought another used transmission for 1200$ back in 1998 or 1999.

Last fall I jacked the car up and turned one wheel to see if the other turned in the opposite direction. It did, which I assume must mean that it is the NON-LSD model. But when I showed my tranny to a mechanic today (the tranny is opened, so you can see the gears) he thought it was an LSD because of the way the differencial looked.

He's the second mechanic that told me this, so it does make me wonder. I know for a fact that the wheels turn opposite of one another, and my dad told me a few times while I was doing burnouts at the track that only one wheel was spinning.

All points to the non-LSD model, but is there a way to be absolutely sure?

 

The tranny identification is stamped on the top of the bellhousing...

 

Are you kidding? I can't believe I would have missed that. I'll check in a minute.

 

None, nothing there

 

tranny case on the drivers side- not the clutch side but back of the case side, will have a bulge in it- on the diff casing. I do not have any pictures of a normal tranny, to show ya. Also the driver's side axle seal should be very big vs the passenger side one.

 

The drivers' side axle seal is indeed bigger than the passenger side seal. It's about 2.5-inches in diameter instead of 1.75 inches or so for the passenger side axle seal. Does that mean it's a 50A or a 50V?

 

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 

It should be a 50V, can you take a picture of the tranny from the differential side- bird eye view ? Drivers axle seal should be on the bulged out part of the case, if its flat like the passenger side of the tranny- then its a 50A.

 

Can't take pictures - but when I turn one side of the differencial with my fingers (the part where the driver side axle connects), the whole gear follows, but when I turn it on the passenger side, the part where the passenger axle connect turns alone, regardless of the rest of the differencial. It turns easily, no resistance.

 

If your viscous coupling is bad, your wheels will spin in opposite directions.

 

So I guess the final drive gear from a '50A' would not work then...?

 

That may not be a conclusive test.
In a viscous coupling, the torque is transmitted through a shearing action of the silicone oil contained within the housing. A certain amount of energy is "lost" in the fluid. If you spin the driver side wheel slow enough, the passenger side wheel will not rotate.

 

Ok, tell you what, I'll bring that b*tch inside and take some low quality pictures of the diff...

 

Here goes:



Really, really low quality.

 

Based on the sectional view given in the FSM, I would have to say that is a 50V. The side bearing pictured is pressed onto one side of the viscous coupling.

 

Just talked to SR20DEN and according to him, that is a non-LSD.

Guess I'm just gonna have to see if the gear fits first hand.

 

I have never had my case open. It just looks like the 50V section in the FSM.

 

Ok. I have an FSM too but the picture is kinda washed up and hard to see.

 

final gear p/n
standard: 38101-96E14
VLSD: 38101-96E04

 

Actually I might stand corrected on this one. I haven't seen inside the 50V, only the 32V which, IIRC, looked differently. I think this one might be a 50V.

 

I thought the way you could tell it was lsd was that where axles go in there is two splines for the axles where as the open only has 1.

The way I can tell that mine is LSD is that its got a big V written on the top



I can take pics or check any thing for you if you want

 

Is it possible to take pics of both sides of the holes where the axles go?

The top of your bellhousing looks different.

 

 

You can see in these 2 shots that the drivers side has 2 splines and the passenger side only has 1. I assume in non-lsd both sides only have 1.

 

JCLAW =- whats the go? Have you got LSD or NON?

 

wow you guys have really complicated a very simple question that was answered along time ago

also on the testing of the VLSD you guys have it wrong what your desribing is how to test a LOCKING dif with the VLSD you have to leave one of the tires on the ground

with one tire on the ground if you get alot of resistance stinning the tire in the air its vlsd if there is no resistance its open

all of the 3 VLSD trans ive had in my car spun the tires in the oppisite direction with them both in the air

plus for future reference to identify the 50A from the 50V with the case split. The 50Vs ring gear has almost twice as many bolts holding it the carrier/VLSD than the 50A, so the final drive ratios are not swapable between the 2

 

Your transmission was in gear when you tested it then.

For both wheels to spin in the same direction, the transmission has to be in neutral.
If you think about it, you would have to turn the engine over in order to rotate both wheels in the same direction with the tranny in gear.

This checking method is also detailed on page MT-8 of the 98 FSM.

 

I don't think my car was in Neutral when I did the test. I will next time though.

UPDATE: Had to pay 100$ to a Transmission Shop to get the gears on the new shaft. My first 3 gears come from a 2000 Altima and all 3 are indeed slightly more aggressive than the original maxima gears. I am keeping the same 4th, 5th and reverse gears.

I kept the 3.823 Final Drive because the transmission is indeed an RS5F50V and the only alternative final drive is 3.895, and it aint worth it. So my car will pull slightly harder through the first three gears.

I'll be putting that thing back together tomorrow (Saturday) but due to 80% chance of rain I won't be installing it until Sunday.

I've been driving a 145 HP Ford Taurus Station Wagon for the past 2 weeks, so as you can imagine I am now clinically insane from being beaten by Ford Escorts and Toyota Echos.

The 4th gen (and possibly 5th gen) traction bars are pretty much ready, bye bye wheel hop forever.

 

I want a 2000 altima gears too

 

I paid 200$cnd for the 3 gears and the shaft (1-2 set comes with one of the shafts) plus 100$ to the transmission shop.

Also, the Altima gears are just as thick as the maxima gears, thus probably the same strength. They look exactly the same except for the slightly more aggressive ratios.

 

I can get a 2000 alti tranny for $350, it's a direct bolt on since I got a 99 alti. But mine's not broken, so there is no reason for the switch. But the .8 of a second drop in 0-60mph is very tempting.

 

I doubt there is a .8 second drop in 0-60, that would put me well under 5 seconds. The difference is probably minor, like .1 or .2 at most.

 

we are talking about the altima tranny. For the altima it drops the 0-60 .8 of a second. I have a 99 altima, it has 4 cylenders. Those 2000 altima gears will almost make no difference in my car but since I race only with the juice that will put me into the 14 second runs.

 

I also highly doubt the nearly 1 second 0-60 time reduction w/the 2000-2k1 Altima tranny....there's never been any official or unofficial time comparisons (which would be difficult or rare to occur anyway). And of course, mag cars can vary alot, but the times I've seen for the 2k/2k1 Altima autos w/the 'revised' TCU/gear trannies ran as slow as the 98-99 autos. Maybe it was driver, track, wear related, but again, not even a VB job will shave a whole second of your 0-60, so I also think maybe a couple of tenths at best.

 

It has different gearing for the first 3 gears on the manual. Also they changed the final drive ratio on both the auto and manual. Plus the fact they added 5hp and 2tq. I have never driven the 2k or 2k1 altima. There was some article that nissan promised to lower the 0-60 time 1 second but they managed to only do .8

Come on guys this is not a supra that does 13's, this is a low 17 second car. The higher the 1/4 mile time the easier it is to drop it. Me adding nitrous made it drop 1 second, added an intake and it went down another .5, you can't do the same with a max and the same amount of nitrous, because the lower the time the harder it is to drop it more. A change in gearing may lower time by .1-.2 on a Maxima but on a slower car it can be a lot more.

 

I was wondering if the open diff. makes both wheels spin or just one. I'm asking because my car supposed to have open diff. but both wheels spin when I did some burnouts.

 

Yes .

 

Before I was married, I raced many 2k/2k1 auto and manual Altimas....driver skill aside, I never lost to an equally modded 2k/2k1 auto and took out a number of manual stock and lightly modded 2k/2k1s...My point being that the effect of the revised auto and supposed reprogrammed TCUs was negligible in my experience with those models....

JClaw, how adversely will the shorter first gear affect your launch technique? I can see how the 2nd/3rd gears would improve midrange acceleration but will that be offset by scrambling for traction off the line.?

Or is the gearing change more for track purposes where you'll have the benefit of w.bars, slicks,etc...?

Jeremy

 

I'm guessing, yes for both will spin.

 

I will launch at a lower RPM, but I plan on using 24.5 slicks instead of 23 in the future when I get tuned (I.E more power) and raised Rev limiter to stay in 3rd gear instead of going into 4th in the 1/4 mile.

The gearing is more aggressive, yes, but I am putting on custom traction bars that eliminate wheel hop at the same time as the tranny (today or tomorrow) so increased gearing but increased traction at the same time. I hope to cut 2.0 60 foots on street tires and possibly a high 1.6 on slicks.